Design Minded

Playgrounds have been a part of suburban and urban life for a long time, but they haven't always looked like they do today. Most playgrounds today are designed to be as safe as possible for kids. However, as we unpack in the episode, this may actually end up resulting in more dangerous injuries for children. 

Hospitals are increasingly complex places that have to serve a wide range of needs and a wide range of people. Designing and planning for these uses and needs is extremely challenging. In our two part series we dive into the different ways that design choices in hospitals can have a direct affect on patient health outcomes.

Hospital's are increasingly complex places that have to serve a wide range of needs and a wide range of people. Designing and planning for these uses and needs is extremely challenging. In our two part series we dive into the different ways that design choices in hospitals can have a direct affect on patient health outcomes. 

Tiny houses and van-life are trends that have really taken off in recent years. Today we look into this a little more to understand the realities of it and the appeal. We also conducted a survey of tiny house owners to get some insight into what they like and don't like about their living arrangements.

Is there a better way to organize all the things you have to do in your life? We all have different ways of remembering and checking off tasks as we navigate our work and personal responsibilities. In today's episode we talk about how we organize our tasks and how the ways of doing this can effect our mental well being. We are also excited to do this episode with guest host Dr. Melissa Woodward.

Eco-friendly products have become a huge part of consumer culture. So much so that you often see products that are designed to look 'green' but on closer inspection have no actual eco-friendly qualities. This week we look deeper at product labels and test whether just putting the colour green on the label can influence you to buy it.

Maps allowed explorers to find new lands, governments to redefine their power, and ordinary people to imagine places they’ve never been. But these days maps appear in all areas of our lives and we seldom think about the subtle effects they have on our worldview. Maps have the power to change how we see ourselves, the people around us, and how we rank the influence of countries. In this episode we look at 3 unintended consequences of the way maps are designed and encourage people to be more mindful of how they view maps.

Most people who go to IKEA do so with the intention of setting up a home and this is something that is often shared with another person. This requires discussion and making joint decisions about personal preferences, lifestyle choices and budget considerations. But this so often leads to conflict that Amy Poehler once said that “Ikea is Swedish for argument”.

In this episode, we find out why visits to Ikea so often lead to conflict. We look at how very deliberate design choices have made the chain so successful, and how these same decisions create an environment that’s primed for conflict.

Produced by Reg Boy and Chris Montgomery

Sound mastering and composition by Johnathan Booy

Coming soon! Design Minded is a podcast where will explore design decisions we encounter on a daily basis and look at how they affect our behaviour, thoughts, and decisions, sometimes even without us realizing it.

Produced by Reg Booy and Chris Montgomery

Sound editing and mixing by Johnathan Booy